The Trade Consultations will be a chance for timber businesses and other industry stakeholders, such as specifiers, manufacturers and retailers, to hear latest findings from the IMM’s market survey work and monitoring of EU trade flows from FLEGT VPA-engaged supplier countries.

They are also opportunities for delegates to discuss key issues and share their views on the FLEGT initiative with the European Commission and Government of Indonesia, the first country to start FLEGT licensing its timber exports to the EU, granting them exemption from the anti-illegality EU Timber Regulation.

The UK event starts with a tour of 'Timber Transformer', an exhibition at the Building Centre explaining the process behind the EU FLEGT Action Plan in Indonesia and showcasing its FLEGT-licensed products. Organised by the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) with the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry, this runs from 5 February to 31 March.

Following this will be presentations on Indonesia-EU trade since the start of FLEGT licensing, EU tropical timber market trends, and the results of the IMM’s 2017 EU trade surveys. Delegates will also hear preliminary findings from its EU furniture sector study, and a presentation on Indonesia’s PHPL sustainable forest management standard and its role in the country’s VPA.

FLEGT-licensed timber in public procurement. Here the focus will be on UK government acceptance of FLEGT licensed goods under its timber procurement policy and the market impacts and what prevents some other EU countries from recognising licensing under their TPPs.

IMM is an EU-funded programme implemented by the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO). Its role is to monitor trade flows from the 15 FLEGT VPA-engaged tropical supplier countries to the EU, including, of course, from Indonesia. It also studies trade impacts of FLEGT-licensed timber in the EU and gauges timber sector views and understanding of the FLEGT VPA initiative.